Snatching Wolves
by katrina C
Summary: This is a crossover with Proof of Life. Dino comes to Miami during his down time and crashes with Ryan. Two shot. Sex in second chapter. Ryan/Dino
1. Chapter 1

Title: Snatching Wolves Pt 1

Author: Kat/Ryan

Pairings: Ryan Wolfe/ Dino

Warnings: M/M, Pre-slash

Rating: PG - FRM

Fandoms: CSI: Miami; Proof of Life

Genre: Slash fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from CSI: Miami or Proof of Life… But I really wish I did... then they'd perform for us all... drools

Thanks to my Beta Chris/Dino...

Summary: Dino comes to Miami to visit his cousin Horatio and meets Ryan. Yumm…

AN: Dino last name is courtesy of Chris/Dino… hugs thanks!

Dino looked around Miami International and sighed when he didn't spot his cousin at the airport. Horatio had told him he would be there at his arrival to give him a place to stay while he wound down and relaxed from his last assignment in Brazil. Shaking his head he went to pick up his bags. As he walked by the newsstands, he noticed a discarded copy of the Miami Herald and let out a low whistle.

"Shit, Horatio wasn't joking when he said that he was probably gonna be busy." He let out a sigh as he picked up his battered and faded green duffle. Covering his baby blue eyes with his aviator sunglasses, Dino was surprised when he saw a young man holding a sign with "D. Martini" on it. As he walked up to the younger man, Dino gave a quick smile.

"It seems that you're looking for me?" He smirked at the startled look on the man's face and was impressed by the younger man's ability to think fast on his feet.

"Mr. Martini, I'm Ryan Wolfe. Horatio is working on a triple homicide right now and asked me to get you since he couldn't get away." Ryan swallowed and let his eyes drink in the sight of the man.

Dino was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans that left very little to the imagination. His white t-shirt was practically see-through, and his black leather jacket made Ryan feel as if he could curl up and be protected in those arms.

"Well, Mr. Wolfe, lead the way." He noticed the flinch from the use of Ryan's last name, and was curious. He pondered it and decided to satisfy his curiosity since he was in the mood for intelligent conversation.

"I'll tell you what," Dino spoke in low tones once they were in the car, "Call me Dino and I'll call you Ryan, deal?"

The pure relief on Ryan's face had Dino wondering as to what had caused the young man to hate his last name so much. Ryan was just glad that he wouldn't have to hear the Mr. Wolfe this or Mr. Wolfe that for the whole trip back to the city, so he willingly started up a small conversation with Dino.

"So, Dino, out of curiosity, other than to see Horatio, why did you come to Miami?" Ryan's voice permeated the fog around Dino mind and he smirked.

"Well, I work in K&R, that's short for kidnapping and ransom. So, after the job I and my partner just finished I decided to come visit my cousin and see how he's doing. I wasn't able to come when he lost Tim Speedle, so I thought I would see how he was doing. He did tell me that the MDPD lab is the third best lab in the country." Dino saw Ryan nod his head and then bit his lip, before he could ask a question, Ryan spoke again.

"What's your job like? I mean, I know that it's an important job, but I was curious to see what it was like on the inside." Ryan's voice was low and smooth yet genuinely curious, making Dino wonder what else that smooth voice could do.

"Well, each job is different. Sometimes we can easily get the money and person switched and other times we have to take drastic measures. Like our last job. The guy was being held near a pipe line by rebels, so we just gave the government the heads up, with some nifty dance moves, about their location, and we came in from the back to pull out him and a few other captives." He smirked and looked over at Ryan, "I got to fly in my big beautiful bitch."

"Big beautiful bitch? I'm guessing it's something that can't be taken down easily, yes?" Ryan spoke sarcastically.

Dino grinned at Ryan's reaction. "It's stealth helicopter a buddy of mine borrowed. It's guaranteed to get a team in and out with the least amount of casualties," the redhead explained. "Luckily only two of my guys got hurt, but they aren't the type who let a few bullets stop them."

Ryan shook his head. He had been shot at a few times and hadn't found it an exciting experience. "If you are anything like Horatio, I bet a week's pay there were explosions involved," he quipped.

"Well…yeah." Dino grinned. He had trained as a demolitions expert when he was in the SEALs around the same time Horatio was working on the Bomb Squad. "We brought a few bangs to the party."

Ryan laughed.

"So, what about you?" Dino inquired. "What's it like being a CSI?"

"It's okay," Ryan quietly replied. He really didn't want to talk about work. He had been happy to pick up Dino at the airport because it meant time away from the lab and the open hostility that had developed since the cases involving the IRS. "It's not overly glamorous."

"Right," Dino murmured. He sensed that there was more going on than what Ryan was comfortable talking about with a near stranger.

Ryan pulled the Hummer into the lab parking lot. "End of the road," he said. "Would you like the nickel tour?"

"Sure," Dino agreed.

Ryan led the redhead inside amused by the doubletakes as they headed upstairs. Not only was Dino Horatio's cousin, but he could pass for Horatio's identical twin.

"Hey, Mandy," Ryan said to the receptionist. "Do I have any messages?"

Mandy handed him a few slips as she studied Dino. "Lieutenant Caine?"

"Not hardly," Dino drawled. "I'm his cousin, Dino Martini."

Ryan chuckled. "He'll need a visitor's pass since I promised him the nickel tour."

"Sure thing," Mandy said. She handed him a clipboard to sign and a visitor's badge.

As they walked down the halls of the lab, Dino became annoyed at how the people were reacting to Ryan. They all seemed to hold this hostile attitude toward the younger man.

They discovered that Horatio had returned to the lab and was in DNA . He looked up when Ryan opened the door and led Dino inside.

"Mr. Wolfe, thank you for bring my cousin to the labs. I believe that you still have a few reports to write up?" Ryan knew a dismissal when he heard one and left H with his cousin.

Patting the younger man on the back as he left, Dino got a small smile as Ryan went back to work. Dino looked over at Horatio and gave him a curious glare, getting a soft chuckle in return; Dino shook Horatio's hand as they spoke about the case that kept Dino from seeing H at the airport.

As Horatio went about his day, Dino began to watch how the members of the lab acted. While he was someone that stood out in the crowd, due to his shocking red hair, he was good at slipping into the shadows.

While Dino did like to cause some mischief, he was disgusted at how his cousin let his people abuse Ryan. He watched as the young man was shunned for trying to learn, and because he had a few questions about going over older evidence. The snapping that Speed was the one that had done the checking over the first time brought a sickened understanding to Dino's eyes. That understanding turned to rage as he watched Ryan's presence be attacked once again and he was tempted to walk in and deal with it.

Horatio did beat him to the location, but he didn't seem to care that the youngest of his team was verbally ripped to shreds by the two older members of the team. He watched Ryan leave the room, and walk down the halls to the morgue. There Dino saw one of the few people who cared about Ryan and his well being.

As Ryan and Alexx talked, Dino moved to talk to H, the man needs to know that he is causing serious issues in his own lab by not stopping the hostilities against the youngest member of his team. But before he left the morgue, Dino decided to talk to Ryan first. He had a feeling that the younger man wouldn't like it if he went to fight his battles for him. Sauntering into the morgue, Dino gave both Ryan and Alexx a quick smile.

"Hey Ryan, who is the lovely lady?" Dino sent his most charming grin, and got a raised eyebrow along with a soft chuckle in response.

"Alexx, this is Dino Martini, H's cousin. Dino, this is Dr. Alexx Woods, the day shift M.E. and the lab's resident mother hen." Ryan gave a shy smile to Alexx as he spoke and got a hug in return.

Dino was pleased that someone was taking Ryan under their wing. Smiling he stepped forward and gently shook Alexx's hand. He had heard about her from Horatio. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said. "Horatio has spoken fondly about you."

"Hmmm…" Alexx murmured. She knew a fast talker when she met one.

Dino got the message and backed off trying to charm Alexx. He turned his attention to Ryan. "I was going to head out and check out the sights, but before I did I wondered if you want to go out for a drink?"

Ryan was surprised. The only person who had ever invited him out was Tim Speedle, and if he was honest with himself, he missed those evenings. "What about Horatio?"

"You know him," Dino replied. "The only thing that gets him out on the town is a crime."

Both Alexx and Ryan chuckled at that remark because they knew it was true.

Alexx picked up on the invisible sparks that flew between her baby and Dino, so she decided to get into the game. She began telling Ryan that it would be good for him to relax and show Dino around town. Ryan agreed, only if Dino did some exploring of his own during the day, as he was going to be busy and he had a feeling that Dino hated being bored.

After Dino left the morgue with a smile and a promise to explore the city, he smirked at the double taking that many of the lab techs were doing. After Dino wandered around the lab for a good five minutes, he noticed that the two people who had been harassing Ryan earlier were looking at him oddly. "H, what are you doing dressed like that?"

Dino smirked and kept looking at the pair, keeping his mutterings quiet. "H, seriously, Stetler has been around much more lately, please be more careful."

With that, both left a chuckling Dino behind. He dropped off his visitor badge at the front desk and called a cab. He couldn't wait to tell Ryan about the confusion on the faces of the other two and the rest of the lab as he walked around before he left. With that he placed his duffle in the back of the cab and rested as he was driven to the local rental agency. He needed a ride, and hopefully they had a bike of his liking.

Spotting the classic Harley in the lot, Dino paid the cab driver and was riding the bike an hour later. The feeling of the bike between his legs gave Dino a rush as he flew down the highway to Horatio's home. The ocean view made Dino smile as he knew that Horatio loved the sea. After putting his bag in the guest room, Dino decided to check out the daytime hot spots before he met Ryan for the night.

Ryan tried to keep the happiness that he was going to do something after work throughout the day, but Eric and Calleigh's attitudes were wearing on his nerves. He couldn't do anything but take it, as he had a feeling that no one would care if he was kicked out for disciplinary reasons, even if he wasn't to blame for the altercations that would be placed upon him.

As Ryan left for the night, he missed seeing the look of shock on a few of the lab tech's faces as he left with a defeated posture. Seeing Dino outside, brightened his sprits. He spotted the bike and shook his head. Walking over to the older man Ryan smiled.

"I have to head home first to change then we can head on out to the bars and clubs." Dino gave Ryan an exaggerated wink and followed the young man home.

After a good ten minutes of waiting for Ryan to drop off his badge and gun, then change his clothes, they were back on the road to one of Ryan's favourite hot spots. As Ryan began to relax, he and Dino continued with their conversation from earlier that morning when Ryan got him at the airport.

"So, Ryan, tell me about Miami and what made you choose it." Dino's eyes were sparkling and he laughed at the shock on Ryan's face.

"What do you mean choose it?" Ryan looked at Dino with suspicion.

Dino rolled his eyes. "You have a northern accent, sounds like its near Boston or something."

"Well, I am from Boston." Ryan sighed. "I had always wanted something to do with law enforcement. If not that, then I wanted to help people. I had finished my degree in Chemistry in Boston, and then did my Master's here in Miami. My Uncle Ron helped set me up down here, and I became a police officer not long after I achieved my Masters." He took a sip of his beer.

"I also choose Miami because I had heard that a Timothy Speedle worked here, and that he was interested in my genetics work." Ryan shifted in his seat, knowing that no one else knew about his friendship with Speed.

"We met up at a lecture and became fast friends. He was impressed with my attention to detail and began hounding me to join the CSI team that he was on. I agreed the day before he was shot in the line of duty." Dino patted Ryan's arm in sympathy and let the younger man collect his thoughts.

"I kept my promise to Tim and joined the team, but I was hoping that they would be a bit more accepting, you know? It's not like I'm the one who shot him. It's not like I'm the one who decided that he should forget to clean his weapon. It's not like it's my fault that he never told his friends about me." With that Ryan shuddered and downed the rest of his beer.

Dino shook his head and smiled sadly. "Not everything goes the way we want. Maybe he was going to surprise them and say that he was grooming you to work with him, and then didn't get the chance."

Ryan smiled and nodded, "Maybe, but it still hurts that they didn't look past their own hurts. Alexx did and now we're good friends, but I wish that the others would too."

Dino shook his head again and began to talk about the looks he got when he was wandering around the labs. "You know, I never thought about how much I look like Horatio until today. God that was fun, I'm surprised that no one got whiplash while I was there."

He looked over at Ryan and snickered, "The two others that work with Horatio were telling me to go and change back into my suit, as Stetler was around and they didn't need any more aggravation."

Ryan was laughing into his new beer by the time Dino was finished. "I am so glad I let you drag me out tonight. I needed that laugh. Jesus, so Eric and Calliegh were worried that Stetler was going to get one up on you? Nice."

Ryan looked over at Dino and found him very attractive. He knew if given half a chance he would sleep with the redhead

The thought of being with someone who obviously enjoyed their job and was willing to chat about it made Ryan glad that he was in Miami. He would hate to think how bleak his life would be without having gotten to know Dino.

Dino looked at Ryan and saw the assessing look in his eyes. Good, it would be easier to get what he wanted this way. Besides, if Horatio didn't want the man, he sure as hell did. With that thought in mind, Dino led Ryan outside and claimed the younger man's mouth in a fierce and possessive kiss.

Pulling back Ryan smirked at Dino and whispered in his ear, "Follow me home, and I promise you the ride of your life." With that another kiss was bestowed and Dino followed Ryan to the parking lot, he could use a good ride and the companionship would only be a wicked bonus.

TBC…

smirks

Kat/Ryan


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Snatching Wolves Pt 2

Author: Kat/Ryan

Pairings: Ryan Wolfe/ Dino

Warnings: M/M, slash

Rating: NC-17 - FRAO

Fandoms: CSI: Miami; Proof of Life

Genre: Slash fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from CSI: Miami or Proof of Life… But I really wish I did... then they'd perform for us all... drools

Thanks to my Beta Chris/Dino...

Summary: Dino is going to make his claim known to Horatio, and Terry sees a little too much of his best friend…

AN: Dino's last name is courtesy of Chris/Dino… hugs thanks!

AN2: The Company's name is Martini and Thorne INC. Those who have watched POL should know that Thorne and Martini were going to open their own company at the end of POL.

Skin rubbed skin.

Moans of desire filled the room.

Ryan squirmed trying to get free from the grip Dino had on his hands. He had only agreed to this because his lover had promised him it would be fast.

Only an insane man would turn down a redhead dressed in only a towel.

"God, Red," Ryan groaned. He bucked his hips trying to get away from Dino's wicked mouth. "You said this would be a quickie."

Dino left off running his tongue around Ryan's naval. "So, I lied," he whispered in Ryan's ear before letting go of the brunette's hands. He moved up and took Ryan's mouth in a heated kiss while he raked his fingernails along the muscular chest under him.

Tongues dueled.

Hands caressed hot spots increasing the passion between them.

Dino broke the kiss. He leaned back and settled on Ryan's thighs. "I've missed you, lover," Dino purred.

"It's only been a week, Red," Ryan replied his hands sliding under the towel wrapped around Dino's slender waist. He caressed the redhead's firm ass before squeezing and moving around to stroke the hard erection.

Dino groaned. "I'm addicted to you."

"Show me," Ryan demanded as he stopped teasing and removed the towel.

"With pleasure," Dino said before leaning down and tracing kisses along Ryan's jaw and down the younger man's neck.

Ryan sighed. He forgot about returning to work. In fact, he forgot about everything, but Dino's mouth and the wicked things the older was doing to his body.

Dino slid his hand under the pillow Ryan's head rested on and grabbed the lube. His hand brushed his spare weapon. The cold metal briefly penetrated his lust filled mind.

He admired his young lover surprised that his cousin couldn't see what he did or why he was spending all his free time in Miami. Horatio was too controlled for his own good and for those around him; so much so that Dino was certain that Horatio would end up unintentionally hurting Ryan.

Dino caressed Ryan's cheek. "I love you," he confessed in a hoarse whisper. He ghosted kisses down Ryan's chest sucking on hard nipples and pulling wordless cries of pleasure from his normally reserved lover.

The redhead loved it when Ryan went all pre-vocal on him; the fact that his shy lover could lose control in the bedroom made Dino quite happy. Most of his conquests were simple vanilla men or women, but Ryan, his precious untamed Ryan, held himself from letting his urges out into the population.

As Dino stroked his lover's passion higher and higher, he thought he caught a sound coming from downstairs. He pressed upon Ryan's naked body and was about to continue when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Shushing Ryan with a kiss, Dino moved his hand from the lube to his gun. He clicked off the safety and pulled it out from under the pillow.

He broke the kiss.

Ryan blinked when he saw the gun. He knew Dino was of the habit of sleeping with a gun under his pillow, but knowing and seeing were two different things. "Dino?" he whispered in concern.

"Just play along, baby," Dino whispered back.

Ryan nodded.

They made moaning noises, and as the door slowly opened Dino rolled over enough to shield Ryan and point his gun at the intruder.

"Bloody hell, mate!" exclaimed Terry Thorne. "Point that fucking thing in another direction!"

"Christ, Thorne!" Dino snarled as he clicked the safety on and tossed his gun onto the floor. "Your fucking time sucks, you asshole! I could have shot you!"

Dino's words pierced through Ryan's haze of lust, causing the young man to squeak and hide under the covers while Dino pulled on his jeans after glaring at his best friend.

"Bloody hell mate! I don't need to see your freckled arse when ya asked me to come down to help ya out!" Terry's voice sounded in the room as he glared back at the red head.

Ryan spoke up from the battle of wills, when it was obvious that there was going to be no more discussions. "How did you get into my house; better yet, Dino, who the fuck is he?"

"My fucking partner," Dino muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Terry stepped forward and introduced himself. "Good day, mate, Terry Thorne at your service."

"Ryan Wolfe, I'd get up to meet you, but I think I'll stay here for the moment." Ryan shook the offered hand and blushed as he remembered his naked state. Pointing at his boxers, Dino grumbled, but got the requested items for his lover watching as Ryan slipped them on.

"In answer to your question, I left the fucking key for him in the mail box. If I had known that he, the sneaky bastard that he is, was going to interrupt us by walking in on our," Dino shot a Terry a cold look, "time together, I would have met him at his hotel."

Ryan tried to hide a smile as Dino pouted.

"Besides, how would you know my ass has freckles, Thorne?" Dino snapped, remembering Terry's statement. "I seem to recall being the bottom to your top more often than not!"

"So he's here to take you back?" Ryan asked in a flat tone as he glared at Terry. He had secretly been afraid that Dino would go back to Terry after Dino had admitted that he and Terry had been lovers.

Terry was about to deny it, when Ryan's cell phone rang. Picking it up out of habit, he spoke clearly into the receiver, "Wolfe." A sigh was heard as he slipped out of bed, "Be there in half an hour H. Yeah I know how to get there." Closing the connection Ryan sighed as he pulled the rest of his clothes on.

"I have to go to a scene. Apparently Delko isn't near a phone and I have to go in for him." Another sigh and a muttered, "Bloody fucking Cuban not doing his damn job, living in Delko time and ignoring the fact that he's supposed to be on call."

Dino tried to talk to Ryan as he was getting to leave, but Ryan ignored him. "I'll see you tonight when I get home, if you haven't already left by then."

Ryan walked out slamming the door behind him.

Dino swore and snatched the door open too late to stop Ryan from driving away. He stood in the door way and watch the Hummer drive down the street.

Shaking with barely suppressed anger, Dino slammed the door shut and turned to scowl at his partner. "Asshole," he grunted before heading into the kitchen to pull a beer from the fridge. He heard Terry follow him and he tossed the Aussie a bottle before closing the fridge and leaning back against it.

As the two men swallowed the imported brew that Dino made sure to have in the house, Terry looked his friend over. Dino looked better than he had in months, maybe even in years. There was a calmness about the redhead that had rarely been seen since his leaving Luthan Risk.

Terry, if asked, would have said Dino glowed even though it would have gotten him shot by Dino. He knew Dino was happy despite being pissed off at him, and that was all that mattered to Terry.

Dino knew that Terry was studying him and noting the changes that had taken place since he had started seeing Ryan. He was calmer and more focused, less likely to fly off the handle or start a fight for no reason.

He also knew that his friends in the kidnap and ransom field had found out about him hooking up with Ryan. They didn't care as long as Ryan didn't hurt the redhead. They believed anything that kept Dino's suicidal tendencies in check was for the best.

"I'm sorry, mate," Terry apologized. "I should have called ahead, but I haven't seen you in months so I kinda wanted to surprise you."

"No worries," Dino said accepting the apology. "But, next time, I'm letting Ryan shoot ya."

"Fair dinkum." Terry finished his beer and set the bottle on the counter. "So why did you want me to stop off in Miami before heading back to London?"

"I want to see about getting Ryan to work with us," Dino explained.

"Why?" Terry was suddenly suspicious. He knew from personal experience how hard it was to work with a lover, and he didn't want to see Dino go through that kind of hell again.

"Why?" Dino growled. "I'll tell you why." He pushed off the fridge and began to pace. "Horatio and his team are treating him like shit!"

"Go on," Terry encouraged. He was willing to listen to Dino's reasoning.

"You've read his file," Dino continued. "He is good at his job. It's just that his coworkers don't want to see it. They are so wrapped up in the past that Ryan hasn't had a snow flake's chance in hell of succeeding."

Terry didn't say anything letting his friend run out of steam. He was surprised at how angry Dino was for Ryan and suspected that his friend was in love with the younger man.

"You're in love with him," the Aussie observed when Dino stopped his pacing.

"What?"

"You love him," Terry said again.

Dino looked at Terry and caught the glint of amusement in the brunette's hazel eyes. He sighed and agreed, "Yes, I do love him."

"Sneaked up on you, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Dino answered. "But, that's not why I want him to work for us."

"So why?"

"Ryan can read people better than anyone I know. We can use his education, and he's a decent shot for a lefty."

"That and the fact that his soul will die if he stays here, Ter. His coworkers are killing him with their indifference. The only one that cares is their ME, a Dr. Alexx Woods. She loves him as if he was her own, and the last time I spoke to her, she was worried because he no longer has the heart to do the job. You know as well as I do what happens when one doesn't love their job, it can get them killed."

Terry nodded. "If he is interested in a career change, then I can't see why we can't find him a spot."

"Thanks, Ter," Dino said with heartfelt sincerity. He grabbed two more beers out of the fridge and handed one to Terry as the phone on the breakfast bar rang.

"Wolfe residence," Dino spoke calmly into the phone and soon he had a white knuckled grip on the breakfast bar. "I'll be there in fifteen." With that he hung up the phone.

"Mate?"

"That was Alexx," Dino explained. He looked up. His normally baby blue eyes were black as coal. "Ryan's been injured. Somebody shot him with a nail gun."

The drive to the hospital was silent except for the honking of horns as Dino drove like a Third World cab driver. The silence made Terry antsy because he was use to his friend being loud and obnoxious when pissed off.

Dino parked and was out of the car like a rifle shot. He spotted Eric Delko in the waiting room and turned his steps in that direction when he felt Terry grab his arm.

"Ryan needs you here not in a jail cell for assaulting a police officer," he murmured into the redhead's ear. He too had spotted the Cuban in the waiting room. "You can deck him when he's off-duty."

They went to the reception desk and were directed to an exam room three doors down the hall. They walked in and Dino went from being silently pissed off to overly concerned lover.

Seeing the nail protruding from the corner of Ryan's right eye made Dino wince. He wasn't good around people with eye injuries because of a childhood injury that had left him wearing an eye patch for several weeks. He swallowed the bile that threatened to make him violently sick.

"Dino?" Ryan croaked. His throat was sore from yelling.

"I'm here, baby," Dino replied shoving his discomfort aside. He went to stand by Ryan's left side grabbing his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "I'm not going to let you go."

"Where's the doctor?"

"On his way," Dino soothed. "Just stay calm. Everything will be alright."

"It hurts," Ryan moaned.

"I know, baby. I know," Dino said in a calm voice.

Terry stood guard at the door. He quietly watched his friend transform from pissed off ex-Navy SEAL to a caring and concerned lover. He had to admit it was a side of his longtime friend that he had rarely seen in the last few years.

"You better hold onto this one, pal," Terry murmured to himself. He looked down the hall and saw a nicely dressed African-American lady and a redhead male, who could only be Dino's cousin, approaching the room.

"We're getting company, mate," he told the redhead. "Your cousin and a lady are coming down the hall."

Dino looked up and the expression on his face worried Terry.

Terry stepped aside and let Alexx and Horatio into the room.

Alexx hurried to Ryan's side while Horatio hung back fiddling with his sunglasses.

Dino let Alexx take his place, but not before brushing back Ryan's hair and placing a kiss on the young man's forehead. "I need to have a chat with Horatio, but I'll be back," he told his lover.

Ryan gave him a weak smile.

Dino walked over to Horatio. "Let's go outside and you can explain to me what the fuck happened."

Horatio merely nodded, and the two redheads left the room.

Horatio quietly and calmly explained what had happened as Dino paced in front of him growing angrier by the second.

Dino turned suddenly and pinned Horatio with a lethal glare. "It was a cleared crime scene?!" he exclaimed in disgust. "How many times have you told me that there is no such thing as a clear scene? A suspect could always come back looking to cover up his crime."

"I was wrong and should have sent Calleigh with him," Horatio admitted.

"Yeah," Dino concurred. "You fucked up, but the real travesty is the fact that the CSI who should have been originally at the scene won't get punished."

"There you are wrong, Dino."

"Am I?" Dino stepped into Horatio's personal space. "You have been so busy watching the world go by with your head shoved so far up your ass that you can't see what Calleigh and Eric have been doing to Ryan."

"Are you done?" Horatio purred dangerously. He was barely keeping his anger at the situation in check.

"Tim is dead, Horatio, and I'm sorry you never had the balls to tell him how you felt about him," Dino countered. "Let him go before you chase his friend away and destroy the lab in the process."

Dino turned on his heel ignoring the shocked expression on Horatio's face.

The ex-Navy SEAL returned to Ryan's room and sat by Alexx as she calmed Ryan down. The nail had been removed, and Terry had gone with the doctor to get Ryan's prescription filled.

The Aussie returned with a few bottles of pills and a nurse pushing a wheelchair. He caught his partner rolling his eyes, but refrain from commenting on it. Dino was too touchy to be teased and Terry liked having his head attached to his neck.

Dino helped Alexx get Ryan ready to leave since the younger man was still groggy from the local anesthetic. She walked out with them and gave Ryan a kiss before drawing Dino aside. "You better take care of my baby," she warned.

"Yes, ma'am," Dino replied.

Alexx smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Dino nodded.

They made plans for Alexx to come over for dinner later in the week. She walked away and ran interference for them because she caught the dark looks Dino had shot in the direction of the waiting room.

Terry drove them back to Ryan's house as Dino cuddled Ryan in the back. The glare he got from the redhead when he kept glancing at them in the rearview mirror made him keep his mouth shut.

The Aussie concentrated on his driving since it was evening rush hour and he was use to driving on the other side of the road. He listened to Dino tell Ryan what he had tried to tell the younger man earlier; how he and the Aussie had been lovers, and how it hadn't worked out, and that they were now just good friends.

Once they arrived at the house, Dino ushered Ryan inside and upstairs. He let Terry lock up and make them a quick meal. He helped Ryan get cleaned up and changed into more comfortable clothes trying not to flinch every time he looked at the eye patch.

"Dino?" Ryan asked.

"Yes," Dino replied.

"Earlier, when you said that you loved me," Ryan said. "Did you mean it?"

"I did."

"Really?" Ryan knew he sounded needy, but his luck in the romance department had never been very good.

Dino cupped Ryan's face and looked him directly in the eye. "I love you, Ryan Wolfe," he said with heartfelt sincerity. He leaned in and softly kissed the younger man. "I'm here for as long as you'll have me."

"So Terry isn't here to take you back?"

"No," the redhead answered. "But, he can explain after dinner."

Once dinner was over, Dino had Ryan resting in his lap bundled in blankets. He had almost lost Ryan through misunderstanding and injury, so he was determined to show the younger man how much he did love him.

Terry handed the redhead a beer before settling into the chair across from the sofa. "I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot earlier."

Ryan blushed at the memory of his accusation. "That's alright," he said accepting the Aussie's apology. "It's been a rough few months, so why are you here?"

"Dino asked me to come by and offer you a position in our company," Terry explained.

Ryan gave Dino a questioning look.

"Because it's been a rough few months for you," Dino told him refraining from ranting about Horatio or the lab.

"If I don't have to make any decisions tonight, I'm willing to listen," the Boston native replied. The painkiller the doctor had prescribed was making him sleepy.

"That's fair," the redhead agreed.

"I'm certain Dino has regaled you with some of our exploits," Terry said trying to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry, pal," Dino retorted. "I kept your embarrassing moments to a minimum."

"Can't tell you how grateful I am to hear that, mate," Terry snarked back. "But to get back to the topic at hand, we are looking for someone to handle intelligence for us. Someone to go in and scout out the location, acquire resources, assess the situation and advise on the best course of action. I know this wouldn't utilize your science background as you do now, but your overall talent wouldn't go to waste."

"That sounds good," Ryan commented.

"I'm going leave the offer behind and give you a few days to look it over," Terry said. He laid the paperwork on the coffee table. "If you have any questions, you can reach me at The Delano." With that Terry bid the pair a goodnight and got up to leave.

Dino saw the Aussie out and then locked up for the night. He then returned to the living room sitting in the chair Terry had vacated. He explained the ins and outs of the K&R world and why he and Terry started up their own shop.

The redhead stopped when he saw Ryan's head drop to his chest. "That's enough for one day, sleepy head," he commented.

Ryan's head jerked up and he muttered, "Ouch," when pain shot through his head.

"Bedtime, baby," Dino said as he lead Ryan upstairs and set about getting them ready for bed. He smacked Ryan's hand when he tried to remove the eye patch. "That stays on so your eye is protect while it heals."

Ryan grumbled, but soon fell into an exhausted sleep. Dino slid into bed spooning his lover, kissing the bare shoulder and holding the man close. He was glad that Ryan was alright, he only hoped that there wouldn't be too much damage done to the eye from the nail. With that, Dino fell into a light doze, with the gun under his pillow, and his senses ready to protect.

For the next two days, Dino took care of Ryan making certain the young man kept the eye patch on giving Ryan's eye the time it needed to heal. He answered Ryan's questions as the brunette looked over the proposal Terry had left behind.

Ryan knew that this was good opportunity, and while he might want to remain in Miami, it might be better if he left. The team would never see him as an individual; he would always be a shadow of his late friend. So, as Terry and Dino prepared the meal for Alexx's visit, Ryan placed the papers in a safe spot, so that he could give Terry and Dino his answers after dinner.

The knock on the door startled Ryan, and before he could move, Dino was letting Alexx in. The smack to his hand made him yelp as Terry glared at him. "Hey mate, your lover boy's been trying to get the patch off. Watch him better, will ya? I got supper."

Dino was soon beside Ryan with Alexx. "Honey, you have to keep the patch on, you're eye needs rest, and that's what the patch gives it." Alexx scolded Ryan and he sighed.

"I can't help it. It's so itchy, and I can't see right." Ryan sighed as Alexx gave him a hug, and Dino squeezed his shoulder.

Alexx filled Ryan in on things that were going on at the lab while Dino went to help Terry with dinner. She told him that Horatio was disciplining Eric for his chronic lateness and other issues.

Ryan refrained from saying, "Too little too late." He was grateful that Eric arrived at the crime scene in time to rush him to the hospital, but still bitter about Eric's attitude toward him.

Terry called them to dinner ten minutes later.

Dinner passed well with good food and a few amusing anticidotes.

Alexx left after pulling Dino aside to find out what he had said to Horatio at the hospital that had left the other redhead pale and on edge for the rest of the afternoon. He had explained that it wasn't his fault that Horatio had been causing more harm than good by not accepting Ryan. "All he had to do, Alexx," Dino said as he saw her to her car. "Was accept Ryan for himself and not as a replacement for Tim, and then everyone else would follow his lead."

"I know, honey," Alexx agreed. "Just take care of him."

"You can count on it," Dino promised.

Dino returned to the house and was drawn inside by Ryan.

"I've come to a decision," Ryan told the redhead.

"And that is?"

"That Terry's a better cook than you are," the young man replied.

"Brat," Dino growled pulling Ryan down next to him on the sofa.

Ryan laughed, which drew Terry into the living room. "What's going on?"

"I've made up my mind about your proposal," Ryan answered. "I'm going to take your offer, but with one stipulation."

"What would that be?" Terry inquired.

Ryan looked Dino directly in the eye. "That I tell Horatio that I'm leaving."

Dino wanted to refuse. He didn't want Horatio to have another chance to hurt his lover, but he knew Ryan needed to do this in order to move on. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "But me and Terry will be there for moral support."

Terry nodded.

"Fair enough," Ryan concurred while stifling a yawn.

"I think that's my cue," Terry said. He bid the pair a good night and saw himself out.

"Thank you love, I'm glad you're giving us a chance." Dino whispered into Ryan's ear before nibbling on his neck and leading him upstairs.

Ryan moaned.

The moan was a gift to Dino. He stripped Ryan and pushed him onto the bed so he could map out the younger man's body. He could negotiate million dollar ransom deals, but he was always at a loss for words when it came to being romantic. So he worked his lover into frenzy showing Ryan how much he wanted, needed, loved and even cherished him.

As Dino stroked, licked, bit and sucked on Ryan's body, he slowly disrobed himself as well. A pale body, lined with a tanned one would make the world weep. Ryan's smaller body was cradled by Dino's larger frame, letting the smaller man to surrender to Dino's ministrations.

Ryan gazed at Dino as he worked his body and he mewled. Baby blue eyes burning with love, lust and desire made Ryan reach for his lover. Claiming the sweet lips in another bruising kiss, Dino opened Ryan up slowly with warm, lubed fingers. The tenderness he had shown humbled Ryan.

As the rough fingers slowly stretched him, Ryan grasped for purchase in Dino's shoulders. He was consumed by the emotions running through him, and a silent cry came as Dino broke their kiss to attach himself to one of his many hotspots.

Removing his fingers from the blessed heat, Dino slicked himself and calmed Ryan down as he slowly slid into his lover. Inch after inch pierced Ryan, and he tried to get Dino to move faster.

Dino was going to make love to Ryan, and he was going to make it last. Once he filled Ryan to the hilt, he waited a few before slowly pulling out, waiting then slamming back in. The howl of pleasure that was torn out of Ryan's mouth made it worth it.

Each thrust back in was at a different angle, until Ryan's back bowed off the bed. With the sweet spot found, Dino set a punishing pace to bring his lover to the edge of the abyss. They needed this connection, and Dino was going to make sure Ryan remembered it.

With a few pulls on Ryan's weeping cock, the smaller man came over the redhead's fingers causing Dino to lose his rhythm and cum as well. He caught himself and rolled to the side panting as he tried to catch his breath.

Ryan's eyes were closed and he had a small smile on his face, which cause Dino to smirk. The redhead rolled off the bed and padded into the bathroom to collect a washcloth. He cleaned them both up checking to make sure he hadn't hurt Ryan before snuggling with the young man under the covers.

Ryan fell asleep and Dino held him fast unable to sleep because his mind wouldn't shut up. It raced along going over different scenarios concerning Horatio's reaction to Ryan's news.

The following morning came sooner than Dino liked as they got ready to leave to head to the crime lab. He tried to convince Ryan to let him come with him when he told Horatio he was leaving.

Ryan refused.

Dino offered one more time to be Ryan's moral support as they parked in front of the lab. Smiling and shaking his head, Ryan refused again. He got out of the car and walked inside.

Dino got out of the car and started to pace because he couldn't stand being cooped up. Terry joined him keeping an eye on Dino because Ryan wouldn't thank the redhead for barging in and telling a few people off.

Ryan walked into the lab heading directly for Horatio's office trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He thought that maybe he should have taken Dino up on his offer of moral support as the people around him kept staring at him and his eye patch.

Knocking on the open glass door, Ryan waited for Horatio to notice him; Horatio looked up and quietly regarded Ryan.

"What can I do for you, Ryan?" he inquired.

"I know that I'm still on medical leave, but I needed to talk with you about Dino."

"Alright," Horatio said. He leaned back in his chair giving Ryan his complete attention.

Licking his lips, Ryan collected himself and looked at Horatio. He handed the older man an envelope that contained his resignation. He had heard how Megan Donner had left, and he didn't want to leave on bad terms.

"We've been seeing each other for the past few months," Ryan began.

"So, I gathered," Horatio remarked. He still felt the sting from Dino's tongue lashing only a few days before.

"Anyway, he has offered me a position with his company and I accepted it."

"Is there anyway I can I change your mind?"

"No," Ryan replied, honestly.

Horatio nodded.

"H, please don't take this personally, but I can't work here anymore. I admit that under your direction I have learned a lot about being a criminalist and I will miss the chance to work with you, but I'm tired," Ryan explained. "I'm tired of the glares, the whispers, the comments and the silence. I know I have made mistakes, but not so many to warrant the cold shoulder treatment. I have very few friends because of certain people's inability to let go of the past."

Horatio waited for Ryan to continue.

"Tim was my friend, but let him rest. He wouldn't want to see this lab be destroyed from the inside because nobody can let him go. Stop comparing every new person to him. Let them fail or succeed on their own merits," Ryan finished. He unclipped his badge and gun placing them on Horatio's desk before turning to leave.

"Ryan," Horatio called.

The very sound he had longed to hear for so long made him pause and turn around. He calmly regarded Horatio.

"Do take care of yourself and Dino," Horatio said. "You both deserve the best, and for what it is worth, I am sorry for how things worked out."

Ryan gave the older man a soft smile and walked away.

He stopped in the locker room and cleaned out his locker happy not to run into either Calleigh or Eric. He left notes for Valera and Alexx at the reception desk and walked out of the lab one final time with his belongings in a box under his arm.

Spotting Dino and Terry leaning against the car, Ryan slowly made his way forward into his new life.

The end

Kat/Ryan

cackles


End file.
